Discounts plentiful throughout industry
Oct 20, 2001 | 11:53 pm
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Join Date: May 2000
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Discounts plentiful throughout industry
For the quick and the stout of heart, unprecedented bargains - sometimes less than half of normal prices - are available on hotels, air fare, tours and cruises as the industry woos skittish travelers in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Airline sales started quietly, with discounts of 5 or 10 percent. Then several major carriers cut some of the highest-priced tickets. On Oct. 4, Delta hit the market with bargain-basement prices. United quickly said it would match the discounts, and other airlines followed suit. Many also are granting extra bonus miles and reducing the number of miles required for free tickets.
Last week, for example, an Internet-only $354 round-trip fare between San Francisco and London was available (deals change weekly). Orbitz was listing air fares between $68 to $178 to cities across the United states, including coast to coast.
Tour operators and cruise lines also are offering steep discounts. Grand Circle Travel cut as much as $1,000 per person off five of its most popular river cruises in Europe and Egypt "for select 2001 departures." The trips include round-trip air fare and are available while space lasts.
Examples: a 16-day river cruise through Holland, Germany and Austria, originally starting at $1,995, now as little as $995; a 15-day all-inclusive vacation to the Costa del Sol, usually $1,095 and up but now $695.
Travel agent says the deals are not just the normal fall discounts. "We're seeing them being extended into the winter and spring," she said, citing a seven-night Celebrity cruise out of Puerto Rico for $849, including air fare, and seven-night Carnival cruises from $549. She said there are many great bargains for ski locations and Hawaii as well.
Most New York City hotels are now offering substantial discounts; the Inter-Continental and Crowne Plaza, usually $359 to $450 per night, are $109 to $149 until Oct. 31. And rooms at the Four Points Sheraton in Washington, D. C., normally $185, were going for $85 last week.
The two cities directly hit by terrorism are not alone: Hotels nationwide are courting guests with deals, and those who reserved months ago often can rebook at the new, lower prices. Discounter www.quikbook. com, for example, has rooms at the Meridien in Chicago for $149 and up, compared with $280 before Sept. 11. Its major competitor, www.hoteldiscount.com, had rooms at Le Meridian in New Orleans and Celebration Disney in Orlando for $99. A Sheraton in Los Angeles was $69; a Hilton in Reno was $29.
Source: sfgate.com
Airline sales started quietly, with discounts of 5 or 10 percent. Then several major carriers cut some of the highest-priced tickets. On Oct. 4, Delta hit the market with bargain-basement prices. United quickly said it would match the discounts, and other airlines followed suit. Many also are granting extra bonus miles and reducing the number of miles required for free tickets.
Last week, for example, an Internet-only $354 round-trip fare between San Francisco and London was available (deals change weekly). Orbitz was listing air fares between $68 to $178 to cities across the United states, including coast to coast.
Tour operators and cruise lines also are offering steep discounts. Grand Circle Travel cut as much as $1,000 per person off five of its most popular river cruises in Europe and Egypt "for select 2001 departures." The trips include round-trip air fare and are available while space lasts.
Examples: a 16-day river cruise through Holland, Germany and Austria, originally starting at $1,995, now as little as $995; a 15-day all-inclusive vacation to the Costa del Sol, usually $1,095 and up but now $695.
Travel agent says the deals are not just the normal fall discounts. "We're seeing them being extended into the winter and spring," she said, citing a seven-night Celebrity cruise out of Puerto Rico for $849, including air fare, and seven-night Carnival cruises from $549. She said there are many great bargains for ski locations and Hawaii as well.
Most New York City hotels are now offering substantial discounts; the Inter-Continental and Crowne Plaza, usually $359 to $450 per night, are $109 to $149 until Oct. 31. And rooms at the Four Points Sheraton in Washington, D. C., normally $185, were going for $85 last week.
The two cities directly hit by terrorism are not alone: Hotels nationwide are courting guests with deals, and those who reserved months ago often can rebook at the new, lower prices. Discounter www.quikbook. com, for example, has rooms at the Meridien in Chicago for $149 and up, compared with $280 before Sept. 11. Its major competitor, www.hoteldiscount.com, had rooms at Le Meridian in New Orleans and Celebration Disney in Orlando for $99. A Sheraton in Los Angeles was $69; a Hilton in Reno was $29.
Source: sfgate.com
